


thunderbolt & lightning

by pettigrace



Series: Prompt Fills [10]
Category: Pretty Little Liars
Genre: Bromance, Canon Compliant, Crack, Developing Friendships, Dudes Being Bros, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, I guess???? more to that in the notes I guess, Thunderstorms, just guys being dudes, no this isn't smutty, okay, this isn't even relationship-y
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 04:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20167873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pettigrace/pseuds/pettigrace
Summary: Since Caleb and Toby aren't even close to being actualfriends, their girlfriends decide to send them off on a trip together.





	thunderbolt & lightning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zoeyva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoeyva/gifts).

> Hi, hello and welcome to my first ever Pretty Little Liar fic!
> 
> I don't even read fics in this fandom, so I'm going in blind here. I haven't even watched any of the show since the finale and even before that details and plots became a mess in my head. So yeah, I have no idea if this counts as an AU or not? -A definitely existed, but either there's a break in the plotting or that's over now, I didn't even decide for a setting. 
> 
> This was written for [Pia](http://xgirlsjustwannahavefunx.tumblr.com), who demanded I have the boys have a good time. Thank to my friend Rux for betaing!
> 
> The title is from Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, in case you couldn't tell.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy! I certainly liked writing it.

There’s two ways that _ getting along with someone _ can go, in Caleb’s opinion. If things go _ this _ way, you could end up becoming incredibly tight with them; sometimes it leads to romantic feelings, other times to an awesome bromance. You’d chill out together, meet up on random, go on camping trips, stuff like that. If things go _ that _ way, you investigate your girlfriends’ stalker together, fist bump as a greeting but never plan to hang out on purpose. In his opinion, Toby Cavanagh is a tree on the latter way.

He doesn’t mind the dude, not at all. Toby’s clever and resourceful, a little weird in the way that’s intriguing, but also of the kind that you forget when he isn’t present. He’s alright when he’s around and Caleb wouldn’t be one to force him to go away, but he wouldn’t be the one calling him up either. 

Hanna must have caught up on that, he thinks. The official story? The girls want their boyfriends to bond. Which would have included freaking Ezra Fitz, too, if they had it their way, but Caleb had quickly put in a veto for that. He doesn’t care that Fitz doesn’t teach any more and that he’s properly dating Aria now, apparently, he already finds it weird enough to sleep in a cramped tent with Toby, there’s no need for a dude who taught them about sonnets, too. There’s a line that needs to be drawn somewhere.

So he _ does _ find himself camping with Toby after all, even though he would never have expected that to come.

It hasn’t even been that bad, actually. Kinda the opposite: Hanging out with Toby was kind of fun, even if they didn’t have much to discuss. They did end up talking about random stuff, like school or the football season - realizing quickly that neither of them gives a shit about _ that _ -, and downed a few bottles of beer between the two of them. They even had s’mores once Toby managed to get a campfire started. It wasn’t the best atmosphere, granted, but Caleb didn’t feel like running away the whole time either, so he supposes that should count for something, right?

The thing is, everything was perfectly fine for as long as the weather held up. Of course, since Spencer’s superbrain has had a hand in planning this whole thing, too, they haven’t just been sent off with the next best tent. No, it’s had to be an expensive waterproof one, as well. Caleb is pretty sure it’s got a GPS as well because that’s the useless shit all expensive things have to offer - except, naturally, the devices that could actually use it. Anyway, that little extra means that there’s no reason to break up their trip when it starts pouring down.

Instead, they quickly gather their things and throw them back into the tent. They pull the zippers closed and once the lamps are lit, that’s that. Luckily, with this being a Hastings tent, there’s more than enough room for at least two more people to crash here comfortably, too. It’s not like they’re breathing down each other’s necks, thankfully. He may not hate Toby, but there’s some things that don’t have to happen, if you ask him.

“And I thought we’d end up singing by the campfire,” Toby states dryly. Gell, he doesn’t even smile to accompany the joke. At least Caleb hopes that it _ is _ a joke.

If not, he wouldn’t be quite sure how to handle that because it hadn’t been on his mind _ at all_. Shit, _ would _ Toby have liked a little jamming session? Shouldn’t he have, like, expected such a thing and armed for that like the good friend he’s supposed to be? 

He decides it’s _ had _ to be a joke. Somehow he can’t really picture Toby in such a setting. “Thank God I didn’t bring a guitar,” he answers equally soberly. When there’s no real reaction to his words, he lets out a sigh and reaches for the cooling box and grabs a beer. “Want one, too?”

Toby lifts his shoulders, which he chooses to interpret as a yes. At least the guy has a solid taste in drinks. Either that, or he doesn’t care what brand, because only Caleb’s is in there. He can appreciate both of those cases, honestly. The important thing is that _ he _ can drink something he likes; he makes a mental note to thank the girls for that, though he has to wonder whether this means that they thought they couldn’t make it through the night sober. 

They drink in silence for the time being. There’s only the sound of rain drops steadily supporting it. 

“Just our luck, huh?” Caleb comments as it grows louder. Of course, -A doesn’t have the power to manipulate the weather as well, but he still feels like it needs to be pointed out. It does seem a little naive that any of them thought that they could _ plan _ something and have it work out.

He just gets a hum in return. Honestly, Caleb doesn’t doubt that Toby’s a nice guy, helpful and clever, all that, but he does need to work on his social cues, if you ask him.

It looks like the evening will end rather soon, then. Hanna and Spencer have taken their phones away to ‘ensure that they don’t just end up ignoring one another’ - no matter that a way of calling for help if need be would really be appreciated, in his opinion. But it’s not like that mattered much in planning this whole thing. Is he paranoid? Maybe. But it’s definitely justified. Though, this tent probably has some alarm button integrated, too, he’s sure…

Either way, he won’t be spending the whole evening sitting here in silence, he can tell as much already. No, he’d rather be going to bed early then.

And just as he thinks so, there’s a new sound added to the steady drum of the rain. In sync with the low rumble of thunder, Caleb feels his whole body tense up. He’s _ never _ liked thunderstorms - bad weather is already awful, there’s no reason to give it an extra deathly flavour, honestly. And that’s just what lightning is, right? Charged air or whatever just waiting to get your ass. Anyway, he’s quickly taught himself how to measure the distance between him and the bolts of death. 

Even though the tent is made of some material that definitely isn’t normal as far as he could tell when he touched it earlier (money brings you high-quality fabrics even for that, apparently), it’s still see-through. Which means he can see the lightning perfectly in the way it frames the shadows of trees upon trees on the outside of the tent. Come to think of it, wasn’t there something about _ not _ being under a tree when there’s a thunderstorm? Hell, they’re in the middle of a forest! 

He counts the second until the thunder starts rumbling again and does the math. Actually, it’s not too bad - at least five miles between them and the actual storm, if he’s counted correctly. It might just pass them by if they’re lucky. 

_ If _ they’re lucky. Which they never are, let’s face the truth. Surely something like this is reason enough to break up this little experiment-slash-bonding session, right? He’s pretty sure the girls wouldn’t want them to _ die _ over something this stupid.

“You okay?” Toby suddenly asks. He’s giving him a long look, one that says he’s been eyeing him for longer than Caleb’s been aware of, and he’s not quite sure what to make of that. It isn’t even particularly curious or anything, he’s just… looking.

Caleb sighs and sits up straighter, opening his arms from where they’ve hugged his knees to his chest. He hadn’t even noticed that he’d curled up, dammit. “I… I’m not too much of a fan of thunderstorms,” he admits, unable to keep himself from grimacing. He can’t help it, even if this is probably a step into the right direction, he’s never liked to show weakness.

“Oh,” Toby says. “That sucks.” Again, no judgement coming from him. At all. It’s curious, really, how neutral his voice is at seemingly all times. A bit freaky, but certainly a skill. Actually, Caleb has to admit he’d be a little impressed if it weren’t so annoying.

“Yeah,” he nods. He lifts his bottle to his lips again, trying to act casual. It’s not even like he’s really _ scared _, not like he’s about to piss himself, but… yeah, comfy’s something else. “It might pass us by, though.”

Toby pulls his lower lip between his teeth at that, obviously thinking about something. Then he shrugs, “We can also just go home.” Surprisingly, he doesn’t sound like he’s _ aching _ for that opportunity. No, Caleb thinks they might be on the same page there: That it isn’t the best thing, sure, but not the worst either. There’s no need to _ flee _ for either of them, and he counts that as a win. 

For a second, Caleb considers it. Sure, he’d rather spend his time inside of firm brick walls than some fabrics that might get blown away by a strong wind - okay, that’s an exaggeration, they fixated it firmly enough and, as established, it’s a tent of the rich and he’s sure those_ don’t get blown away _ . At least not just like that. Besides, if they were to leave, that means they’d have to pack their bags and put them into the car, and _ that _ means they’re gonna have to be _ outside _ for all the while, and then the drive back which might lead _ through _ the storm… He shakes his head as an answer. No, he’d rather take his chances staying here.

“Okay,” Toby nods. He hesitates for a second but then he asks, “Anything I can do?” They’re still sitting across from each other, which means Caleb can read Toby’s body language perfectly. It isn’t as tame as his voice is. He can tell that Toby _ means _ it and that he’s somewhat at a loss. He keeps shifting forward, like he wants to reach out to him or something, and sinking back into place, like he doesn’t dare. 

Truth be told, Caleb doesn’t even know if he _ needs _ anything to be done. He isn’t even shivering or something, he just feels a little uneasy. That’s about it. He shrugs. “I grew up in foster care, man, I don’t know what the protocol here is.” That isn’t even a lie. Even when he was younger and _ more _ fazed by thunder, he’d never felt like running to whoever had him at the time was the right thing to do. So he’s always sat it out, just like he’s intending to do now.

“Jenna Marshall’s my step-sister.” Toby says. 

Caleb looks at him, unsure what to make of that. _ Yeah _ , he knows that. Everyone knows that. There’s no reason for him to point it out, really. Unless… _ unless _ they’re swapping childhood stories now. He has to admit, if it’s a contest about how’s had it worse, then that single sentence lets Toby win the whole thing. He doesn’t even want to imagine what _ living _ with Jenna would be like even if things weren’t _ as _ twisted. 

Something crosses Toby’s face that takes him a moment to place. It’s something like regret and-- oh, Caleb should have _ responded _. They’re talking now, okay.

“That sucks,” he says cleverly. It’s probably not the topic you continue, especially not when it’s basically the first personal conversation that you ever share, so he’s unsure what to say next. “You must like lightning, right?”

Truth be told, he can’t really tell, because Toby is just as quiet and relaxed as he’s been the whole evening. He doesn’t flinch at the thunder or at the sudden lights, but then again neither does Caleb, and he certainly _ doesn’t _ like it. It’s just something he feels might be right. 

“It looks awesome in photos,” Toby states. He says it like it’s a fact not an opinion and when Caleb thinks about it, he can’t deny that it’s the truth. Pictures of thunderstorms _ do _ look spectacular, even if he doesn’t like being in the middle of those.

“You do that, huh,” he answers. “Photography?”

Toby tilts his head a little. This time Caleb can’t really tell if he’s searching for words or if something else is happening, too. If maybe he’s hit a nerve in bringing up that past hobby. Finally, he replies, “Not as much anymore.” 

Caleb nods. He gets that, really. He’s never had anything that really makes him besides his hacking and all that, but even before he had come here if had been born out of a necessity more than anything else. He’s never had a real hobby, period. Not like Hanna or Emily or Spencer. Or Toby. But he knows that they've all had to make compromises, given everything that’s been going on. Gad he been insensitive in asking in the first place?

“You should take it up again,” he offers. He doesn’t mean right now or any time soon, but _ eventually_. He guesses Toby will get what he means anyway.

A soft smile makes its way onto his lips. “Spencer did get me a new camera.”

“That’s cool.” Caleb bites back a grin. _ Of course _ Spencer would go around and get her boyfriend a new camera. It’s probably one of those expensive and fancy oes with twenty lenses and whatnot. He’s never seen a picture of Toby’s, logically, but he can imagine that he’d be good at that. He’s got that silent observer vibe to him that’s probably necessary for that.

“Yeah, it is,” Toby agrees. He’s still smiling, which means _ this _ is a good topic. That Caleb can work with.

He takes another sip of his beer. “So, what do you shoot?”

Toby thinks about it. Not exactly _ hesitating _ but like he’s scouting through a mental catalogue of every picture he has ever taken. If he really does that, then Caleb is highly impressed. “Everything, really,” he answers. “Landscapes, animals, people…”

Despite everything going on in his life, Caleb is still a teenage boy, believe it or not. It’s like his brain shortcuts and he _ finally _breaks into that grin that’s been scratching on the surface all this time. He speaks before he thinks. “Nudes?”

He can feel his eyes go wide as he realizes _ what _ he’s just said. You don't just go and ask dudes you’ve been practically forced to hang out with whether they take nudes. Even if you’re talking in general and not specific ones, that’s barely even a topic to bring up to a _ friend _ . They’ve just _ started _ to actually _ talk _ and here he is screwing that up because he forgets the world he lives in for a second.

To his surprise, though, Toby’s eye roll seems like it’s good-hearted. He snorts. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” And then he takes a sip of his drink, too.

Caleb’s mouth drops open. “Seriously?” He’d have expected Toby to tell him off or get furious about him disgracing that hobby like that but he would have _ never _ expected such a vague-ass answer. _ Never_. “Come on, you need to give me a little more here. D’you send Spencer high-quality dick pics?”

Toby just starts to laugh. Which isn’t an answer, so naturally, Caleb just feels more curious about it. Well, damn, he’d never have imagined today to go like that. 

“Oh, or do you take ‘aesthetically pleasing pics’ of her?” He continues, grinning all the while. He isn’t imagining those, of course, because that’s _ Toby’s _ girlfriend and he has a cute and hot one himself, but it’s something that _ could _ be happening, he’s sure.

“Why are you so into that?” Toby wants to know, still chuckling as he talks. He does that way too rarely, Caleb thinks, and he’s glad that he’s the reason for it happening now. “Is that a kink you and Hanna have?”

Caleb shrugs. “Could be nice, I dunno,” he admits. Admittedly, he’s still a bit surprised that Toby didn’t just brush off that topic right away. He seems kinda prude, actually, but apparently he’s been wrong about that. Somehow, he can’t wide to find out what else his mind’s gotten wrong. Maybe this whole bonding trip _ has _ been fruitful. Thank the nudes, he guesses.

“Hey,” Toby says now. “It stopped.” Okay, so maybe he’s deflecting _ now _. Great.

Caleb needs a second to get what he’s saying, but then he listens. The rain’s still drumming, though not as heavy as before. And there’s no growling in the air anymore. He waits - no lighting either. He hadn’t even noticed that! Truthfully, the thunderstorm has quickly become background noise with how the conversation went. So many strikes with one try. “Wow.”

“So I guess talking helps.” Toby offers.

“Huh?”

“With the storm. You didn’t even notice it any more, did you?” Toby gives him a tiny smile. “So now we know what to do the next time.”

Caleb would be lying if he said he didn’t like how _ the next time _ sounds. Once you find a topic, it seems, talking to Toby is fairly easy. He’s still not talking too much by himself, but he _ does _ answer. He just thinks about what to say for a little longer, which isn’t really what Caleb’s used to, but he might get around to that. He’s pretty sure the topic doesn’t even have anything to do with any of that, but he can’t help but be a tease. “Talk about nudes?”

Toby gives him a playful grimace. “You _ are _ a walking cliche, aren’t you?”

“Trying my best to maintain a reputation,” Caleb offers with a laugh. Yep, they’re definitely at the stage of sarcasm now. 

Maybe this won’t be the only trip they ever take, he hopes. Should he give Spencer and Hanna a bouquet of flowers for this? What’s the etiquette when someone forces you to befriend someone and it works out perfectly? He’ll have to find out...

**Author's Note:**

> Did Toby even do photography or has my brain morphed actor and character into One Person? We may never know....
> 
> **Please leave a comment!**  
If you liked this, come check out my [tumblr](https://joanthangroff.tumblr.com/post/185889982733/im-reopening-my-writing-commissions-as-always) or talk to me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/Ll4MDUNBAR).


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